


You Can Accidentally Rob A Bank (and my heart)

by Turntechgodliness (AmberzillaRex)



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: M/M, Other, There's like under aged flirtation between a sixteen year old and a twenty four year old, but nothing really happens while Gavin's under aged I promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-10-19 23:01:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10649880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberzillaRex/pseuds/Turntechgodliness
Summary: Ryan Haywood never expected to land in the life of crime. He never planned to rob a bank, or meet a hacker with a talent for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.Sometimes, life just sort of happens.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an offical call out for gappylulu, who keeps encouraging me to write things when I have random plot bunnies. Awful. Truly awful.

He hadn’t meant to rob the bank. 

It was one of those things where if it hadn’t happened to him, he’d never have believed it could actually happen. A simple mistake, a teller spotting the gun strapped to his hip and misconstruing his awkwardness at asking to open an account with his wanting to rob the bank. Several confusing, terrifying moments later and Ryan found himself racing from the building, a sack of money shoved into his duffel bag and no idea as to what had happened. He pressed himself to the wall of the building he’d ducked behind, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. 

“I can’t believe this. Oh, god. I’m going to throw up.” Glancing around, he took stock of what he had at his disposal for a clean getaway. A bus shelter stood a ways down the block, three teenagers gathered around the stop post as they waited for the bus to arrive. A little closer sat what looked like an abandoned car, one that Ryan had passed several times in the past few days while running errands around town. He edged his way towards the vehicle, ducking past a dumpster and darting to the driver’s side door to jimmy the lock. 

“Definitely didn’t think any of this through. Why would she think I was robbing the place?” Popping the lock, he pulled the door open, noting the pile of blankets and rags in the back seat as he slid into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut. Setting the bag under the passenger seat, he grasped the steering wheel, pressed his forehead against the hard plastic, and took a few deep breaths.

“I didn’t ask for the money, she just...she just gave it to me. I didn’t really rob anyone.” Somewhere in the distance, a siren sounded, and he jumped as he glanced around frantically at the sound. “Shit, shit.” Reaching to pull the panel from the bottom of the steering console, he spent a moment fiddling with the wires before the car roared to life. “Yes, alright, I can work with this. Accidental bank robbery and grand theft auto all in one day, really making mom and dad proud there, Haywood. Argh.”

Putting the car into drive, he pulled out into traffic as inconspicuously as possible, running a shaking hand through his hair before reaching to adjust the seat. Whoever the actual owner of the vehicle was (and god, he’d stolen a car on his own free will this time, there was no accident in that) was shorter than Ryan himself, and it took a moment of multitasking to get the seat and mirrors to appropriate positions for his height. 

Turning off of Vespucci onto Palomino, he drove far enough to turn onto San Andreas Avenue. His anxiety spiked rapidly as he headed towards the Los Santos Freeway with every intention of heading to the small cabin he’d been camping in just northeast of Braddock Pass in Mount Gordo. As he sped up to match the rest of the traffic travelling along the freeway, he let out a slow breath in an attempt to calm himself down as he glanced in his rearview to see if any cops were trailing him. There were no sirens, nothing following him, and he let out a sigh of relief as he turned his attention back to the road, coasting at a firm 140 clicks as he merged into the left lane to pass a slower moving mini van. 

“Did we just rob a bank then?” The shriek he let out was, admittedly, not the manliest noise he’d ever made, his hands jerking the wheel slightly as he whipped around in his seat to stare wide eyed at the teenaged boy sitting in the pile of what he had assumed to be just blankets and rags. “Oi, watch the bloody road, yeah? You’re going to drive us into another car!” Ryan jerked his attention back to the road, pulling into the right lane as he glanced at the kid in his mirror. Shaggy, shoulder length blond hair and an oddly feminine face greeted him, with a rather unfortunate nose that seemed to have a bit of dried blood smeared between it and the boy’s upper lip. 

“Where the hell did you come from?” Ryan’s question was met with a blank stare, and he let his gaze dart between the road and the teen as he looked for an exit to pull off onto. 

“England. Where did you come from?” Ryan gaped at the question, spotting the exit for Route 68 and sharply jerking the wheel to take the exit before they passed. 

“I don’t- that’s not what I meant! Pretty sure I didn’t see you in the back seat when I got into the car.” The kid snorted, leaning back and shoving the blankets off of himself before pushing his way between the seats, climbing into the passenger side and buckling himself in. 

“I was. I was asleep, but I was most definitely in the car. So, did you really rob a bank then? Let’s see the loot, yeah?” Ryan made a distressed noise as the kid started poking around under his seat, reaching over to grab his shoulder and push him straight up. 

“Stop. Jesus, just...it was an accident, I wasn’t TRYING to rob the bank. They just saw my gun and assumed I was robbing them I think.” The kid burst into laughter, shoving Ryan’s hand away and giving his arm a hard prod. 

“How do you accidently rob a bank! That’s bloody brilliant, I love it. I like you, mate.” Ryan cast a look at the kid, taking note of the dirty clothes he wore and the greasy strands of hair that hung in his face. 

“You homeless?” The guy was sort of obnoxious, but he wasn’t about to put some kid back on the street if he wasn’t about to turn him in for a (accidental, dammit) robbery. The kid shot him a startled look, waving his hands in the air as he leaned away from Ryan. 

“Who just asks that! Am I homeless. Well, I have a home but I’m currently not there. So. Not really. Are you homeless? Is that why you robbed a bank?” Ryan spluttered at the question, and the teen beamed at him. 

“What? No, I’m not homeless! Jesus. And I told you, it was an accident. What’s your name? You should be in school or something, you look like you’re about twelve.” The teen frowned, and Ryan spotted a sign for a motel ahead. 

“Vav. And I’m not twelve, you mong. I’m almost seventeen. Where are we going?” The kid kept talking. It was like he had no filter, nothing keeping him from just rambling at the stranger who had stolen the car he’d been sleeping in. Ryan worried for him, a little - clearly, the kid needed a guiding hand of some sort. 

“There’s a motel up ahead. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to drive around while the cops are potentially looking for me. You can do whatever you want, but I’m going to crash for the night and figure things out in the morning.” The unspoken offer sat between them, Ryan’s fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly as he waited for the younger man to speak. Vav shifted awkwardly in his seat, watching Ryan for a long moment before clearing his throat. 

“I’m not going to have sex with you for a place to sleep. I’ll stab you if you try anything.” Ryan choked, and Vav crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m bloody serious! Try me!” 

“I’m not-I don’t want-Vav. No. I don’t want to sleep with you.” Vav let out a distressed squawk, causing Ryan to look over at him in alarm as they passed another sign for the motel. 

“Are you saying I’m not shaggable? Rude. You aren’t going to kill me, are you?” Ryan rolled his eyes, and Vav flapped his hands at him. “What? It’s possible! You look like the sort of bloke who follows a lad around for a week, plays nice and then WHAM!” He slammed his hand down on the dash, causing Ryan to start at the sudden noise. “Young boy, stabbed fifty seven times and found naked in a river. Woe upon his soul, for he was trusting and witty and taken too young.” Snorting, Ryan turned into the parking lot of the motel as it came into view, pulling into a parking spot and turning off the car. 

“I’m not all that into killing kids, actually. Look, I can promise you that I have no plans to murder you in your sleep. I don’t even want to rob you, because frankly, kid, you look like you don’t have a whole lot to take. And I’m a pretty light sleeper, so don’t think you can rob or murder me if you decide to stay...also, I outweigh you by like a hundred pounds. I can and will destroy you if you try anything.” Vav wrinkled his nose, and Ryan nodded towards the motel. 

“Well threatening me, that doesn’t make me want to do anything with you honestly. Though you seem an alright sort of lad. Alright enough for an accidental robber anyways. Do I get to know your name?” Ryan undid his seatbelt, twisting to reach for the bag he’d shoved under Vav’s seat. 

“James.” Vav grinned, shoving his hand into Ryan’s own and giving it a hard shake. 

“Nice to meet you, yeah? I’ll take you up on your offer but like I said, don’t try anything alright?” Vav squinted at Ryan and the older man rolled his eyes and dropped his hand, moving to get out of the car. Vav followed him inside of the small office, standing awkwardly behind him as he approached the young woman seated at the desk. 

“Yeah, hi, we’d like a room for the night please?” The woman looked up, smiling at Ryan before shifting her gaze to Vav behind him. Her smile dropped slightly, and she turned her attention back to Ryan. 

“We have a few vacancies. How many beds?” Ryan’s brow furrowed, and he glanced back at Vav before giving the girl a confused look. 

“Uh, two?” The woman nodded, turning to take a key from the board behind her and placing it on the desk. 

“Forty six dollars, we take cash, credit or debit. There’s not really a check out time, but the cleaner comes at ten thirty so either put the hanger on the door to let him know you don’t wanna be disturbed or be prepared...if you stay til morning, I mean. Don’t get blood or semen on anything.” Ryan pulled his wallet from his coat pocket and took out a fifty, sliding it to her and taking the key as he waved off his change. 

“Uh. Alright. Just return the key in the morning or…?” She shook her head, flipping her hair as she rolled her chair back. 

“Just leave it in the room.” Ryan nodded, gesturing for gavin to follow as he turned to leave the lobby. They made their way to their room (215, just past the ice machine) and paused in the hall as Ryan unlocked the door, pushing it open and letting Vav enter the room first. 

“She thought we were going to have sex, you know.” Vav’s tone was cheeky as he flung himself onto one of the beds. Ryan groaned as he closed the door and locked it before making his way into the room’s small bathroom. 

“No shit. That was embarrassing and awkward.” Closing the door, he moved to relieve himself, listening as the mattress squeaked loudly from Vav’s movements. 

“Well I think it’s flattering. You’re an attractive bloke, it’s nice to think she thought I could catch you, especially since I apparently look twelve.” Finishing, Ryan washed his hands and left the bathroom, walking over to the other bed before settling down on it and kicking off his shoes. 

“Well it makes me feel like a pedophile, so thanks for that. I should have just left you in the car.” Vav made a face, and Ryan sighed. “Seriously though. What were you doing sleeping in a car?” Vav fell into silence for a few minutes, and Ryan waited patiently for the younger man to speak. 

“I was just sleeping in it. Why do I need a reason?” Ryan gave him a look, and he shrugged. “I needed a place to sleep. The car was there. End of bloody story.” Settling back against the pillows, Ryan folded his arms behind his head and shifted slightly to watch the teen as he began to pile the blanket and pillows around him. Vav was certainly...interesting, to say the least, and though Ryan knew that the teen was clearly avoiding answering the question properly, he couldn’t say he felt as though the kid was a threat to him. 

“Well people don’t usually just take naps in abandoned cars, kid. Just saying. But whatever.” Vav burrowed into the pillows, and Ryan let out a sigh. “Anyways, you’re welcome to stay here and stuff, but like I said I’m a light sleeper and I will know if you’re going to rob me.” The kid snorted, pulling a blanket up around him before turning onto his side to watch Ryan. 

“Where am I going to go? You hotwired the car, a skill I don’t have. Plus, we’re in the middle of nowhere as far as I know, and I haven’t a clue how to get back to the inner city. I’m sort of stuck here with you, yeah?” Ryan shrugged, and Vav grinned at him. “Or maybe you’re stuck here with me. Dun dun dunnnnnn.” Slim fingers were thrust towards him, waggling as he beamed at the older man. 

“I’m pretty sure I’m not stuck here with you. I’m going to leave pretty early to beat the traffic out to Mount Gordo, so I’m going to go to sleep. You can stay here as long as you want tomorrow, I guess. There’s a bus that goes back to the inner city that stops just outside the motel every hour starting at seven.” Vav nodded, and Ryan let out a yawn. “Remember, I’m a light sleeper. Don’t try anything, kid.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t you try anything either, you hear?” They exchanged a look, and Ryan reached to flick off the light before closing his eyes, listening to the teen settling down in the other bed. It took nearly twenty minutes for Vav’s breathing to even out, and Ryan turned onto his side to watch the young man for a moment, taking in how young he looked as he slept. 

He had no idea what he’d gotten himself into, but he wasn’t all that certain that he liked the idea of just abandoning the kid in the morning. Sighing, he closed his eyes again, letting himself fall into a light sleep. 

He’d deal with it in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

He woke up before James, a pillow pressed to his face as he struggled with the blanket that had tangled around his legs during the night. Pushing it aside, he glanced at the man sleeping in the other bed as he rolled slightly to seat himself on the edge of the mattress. James didn’t look much like a bank robber - frankly, he looked more like the snobby college students that Geoff often used for water balloon practice than a hardened criminal, though Gavin himself couldn’t really say anything in regards to it considering the older man had described him as a twelve year old just the night before. 

Stretching, he slid to the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair as he took stock of his clothing. He stank - he hadn’t had time to grab anything when he’d stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door as Geoff yelled at him to get back inside. He hadn’t had the opportunity to shower in nearly a week, and he felt absolutely ripe - not to mention the greasy mess that was his hair. He wondered if he’d be able to catch a shower before James woke up. Slipping off the bed, he made his way into the bathroom, closing the door as quietly as he could before moving to turn on the shower. Adjusting the water’s temperature, he then moved to strip off the ratty t-shirt that he’d been wearing as he checked his reflection in the mirror. Dried blood crusted under his nose from his first run in with one of the gangs that had been causing trouble with Geoff, and he frowned as he gently prodded at the slight bruising just under his left eye. 

“Bloody bastards think they can take me out just because I’m younger and smaller than them…”, he murmured, rubbing the blood away before making a face. Turning back to the shower, he slipped out of his filthy jeans and his boxers, kicking off his socks before stepping into the tub. Turning his back to the hot water, he let out a low moan as the heat and water pressure soothed his aching muscles. The water felt nice, and he took several minutes to simply stand there and soak it in. 

Once his back loosened up a bit, he reached for the soap and lathered up to wash away the dirt and grime. Once his body was clean, he reached for the shampoo, pouring a generous amount into his hand to work into his hair as he hummed to himself. The door to the bathroom opened, and Gavin let out a startled screech, backing against the wall before peeking around the curtain at the man standing awkwardly beside the sink. 

“What the hell, James? No sex, I told you!” James’ cheeks reddened, and he awkwardly held out some clothing. 

“I came in here to give you some clean clothes...I figured that you wouldn’t want to put those dirty ones back on after you got clean. I wasn’t trying to...I just...I’ll leave these here.” Setting the clothes on the sink, the older man backed out of the bathroom again, and Gavin stuck his head back under the shower’s stream, worried that James would come back in. He’d been on the receiving end of too many unwanted advances in his life, before Geoff and Jack had taken him in. He should have locked the door when he’d entered the washroom. 

Turning off the tap, he reached for a towel, wrapping it around himself as he stepped out of the tub. He dried himself off and then picked up the shirt, holding it up against his chest with a frown before pulling it on. The shirt fell past his hips, and the pants that James had brought him were far too big for him, sweatpants or not. But clean clothes were clean clothes, and he felt better not putting on his dirty ones again. Pushing open the bathroom door, he toweled off his hair as he reentered the main room. James sat on the edge of the bed he’d slept on, rooting through the duffel bag he’d brought in from the car. Gavin moved to seat himself on the other bed, watching the older man for a moment before clearing his throat to catch his attention. 

“Thank you, James. For the clothes, for letting me sleep here...for not trying any funny business. I appreciate it.” James nodded, running a hand through his hair as he glanced at the younger man. 

“I mean, I’m not an asshole. You’re a kid, I wasn’t about to make you sleep in a car. And I know the feeling of getting into dirty clothes after a shower...not great.” Gavin nodded, placing the towel on the small side table between the two beds before moving to hesitantly sit next to the older man. 

“So you didn’t mean to rob the bank.” James nodded, leaning back slightly to watch as Gavin picked at the comforter. “That’s a special sort of skill, you know. How much did they give you? Did you count it?” James shrugged. 

“About $5500. So not a major haul but...I mean. For not actually trying to rob a bank it’s pretty good, right?” James grinned at him sheepishly, and Gavin couldn’t help but smile back. 

“Not too bad at all, mate. So...where are you going to go now?” James gave him a calculating look, and Gavin held up his hands. “I’m just curious, nothing more. I don’t want your money or anything, James. Promise. “ James frowned, and Gavin brought his legs up under him. 

“I was planning on going to a cabin out near Braddock Pass, actually. I’m...in a bit of trouble, to be honest with you. Which is why I think it might be a good idea for us to part ways here, truthfully.” Gavin’s brow furrowed - Braddock Pass was a bit out of the way, but it was still in Los Santos. Still within the area he’d given Geoff when the older man had demanded to know where he was going.

“What sort of trouble? Maybe I can help?” James shook his head, and Gavin shifted to press a hand against James’ arm. “Seriously. What sort of trouble? I’m actually really good at problem solving when I have to be. Let me help...in payment for the room for the night.” Silence sat between them for a long moment, and just as Gavin was about to give up on the situation James cleared his throat and leaned forward. 

“Do you have any affiliations with any of the local gangs, Vav?” Gavin shook his head, and James fixed him with a hard stare. “I assume Vav is a nickname. In this town, most people with nicknames like that are in some sort of gang. If you really want to help me, you’ll be honest with me.” Gavin hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. 

“I’m not. In a gang, I mean, I’m not in a gang. Not one of the big ones anyways. You’d never have heard of us, I’m sure, we only just got here...so I don’t consider myself with any of the local gangs, you know? As for the name...it’s what people who aren’t family call me.” James nodded, and Gavin gestured for him to continue. 

“I didn’t mean to, but I crossed Edgar St. Gerald.” Gavin’s breath caught in his throat at the name, his mind flashing to the one meeting he’d been privy to between Edgar and Geoff. The man had, quite frankly, scared him shitless - something about him was off, and he hadn’t been able to put his finger on it. 

“How?” James ran a hand through his hair nervously, casting small glances at Gavin as he talked quickly.

“I messed up a job for him. He was planning an information theft on the tech company I worked for, and I somehow managed to get in his way by re-routing the information he was looking for on the day of the job. He lost a lot of money on the deal, I guess, and he kidnapped me with the intent to kill me, I think, but I escaped.” Gavin took note of the tense way James held himself while revealing the information, his face tight and his hands clenched in his lap. 

“You killed people while escaping.” It wasn’t really a question; Jack always looked the same way when she had to kill someone at first, letting the guilt and regret build up until Geoff had sat her down and worked through it with her. “It’s okay, they weren’t good people, James. I’m sure you wouldn’t have done it unless you had to.” Squeezing the arm under his hand, he offered James a soft smile. “I’m not going to judge you.” He couldn’t, really - he and Dan had killed several men before stowing away in a cargo ship to escape to America nearly four years before.

“I...thank you?” James’ voice held an edge of confusion at Gavin’s casual acceptance, prompting Gavin to pat his arm lightly. “Regardless, Edgar is still looking for me as far as I know, so I’ve been trying to keep a low profile for the time being. Hence, the cabin up Mount Gordo.” Gavin nodded, and James let out a sigh. “I don’t really know how to fix the situation, either. I’d thought about contacting another gang to see if they could help me, but the only gang big enough to rival Edgar’s right now are the Cockbytes, and I have no idea how to contact them.” Gavin’s grin widened, and he slapped James’ arm as he bounced lightly on the bed. 

“Well, that’s bloody convenient! I know how to contact the Cockbytes, James!” James’ eyes widened, and Gavin gave an awkward flail of his arms, almost smacking the older man in the face. “Yeah, Burnie is super easy to hunt down if you know where to look, I could probably set up a meeting with you easily! Oh...but he’ll want payment for helping you.” He frowned, thinking. “I don’t know if your accidental robbery money will be enough, it depends on what he has to do I think. Maybe I can get you a deal? Or he could like...help get a plan happening, and I can help you out with it! I’m not very good with a gun, but I’m brilliant with computers and getting information.” He beamed at James, noting the look of stunned disbelief on the other’s face. 

“You. You know Burnie Burns.” Gavin nodded, and James let out a barking laugh. “Unbelievable. I’ve spent three weeks trying to find out how to get a hold of him, and then you practically drop into my lap with a way in. Who knew that all I had to do was accidentally rob a bank and commit grand theft auto.” Gavin chuckled, and James fixed him with a contemplating expression. 

“What?” Gavin slowly backed away from James, brows furrowed as the older man leaned into his space. “Stop it, James, you bloody mong.”

“Ryan.” Gavin’s look of confusion grew, and James chuckled. “My name. It’s Ryan, not James. I, uh. If you’re going to be helping me, I figure I ought to tell you my real name at least. Can’t really preach honesty if I’m not being honest myself.” Gavin nodded, chewing his lower lip for a moment before thrusting his hand out to Ryan. 

“Well, alright, I’d be a right bastard if I didn’t do the same then. I’m Gavin. Nice to meet you proper, Ryan.” Ryan took his hand, shaking it, and Gavin beamed, releasing the older man’s hand and gesturing towards the door. 

“Well, we can’t get you to see Burnie sitting around here, yeah? Let’s head back to the city.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad that I keep updating this fic and not Dogs or Blood...ugh inspiration is weird guys. Also, my beta's going on vacation and I'm doing prep for Anime North (a convention here in Canada) and working six days a week so chapters of all my fics are going to be a little slow coming for the next bit. I hope you'll all stick around for more though!

“Nothing. Two fucking weeks and there’s been no word, not one fucking word. What if he’s dead, Jack? He’s a fucking idiot child, he probably got shot and died in a fucking gutter without a word. Jesus fucking dicks. I’m calling Joel.” Jack watched as Geoff paced around the kitchen, his hands making no effort to pick up the phone laying on the counter as he made his fifth trip around the island that she sat at. 

“Joel’s not going to know any more than we do, Geoff. He would have called us if he found Gavin. If he doesn’t want to be found, you know we won’t find him until he’s ready.” It helped that she had gotten word of Gavin being spotted in the general area of Vespucci earlier that week - they had people keeping an eye out for the teen while he went about his little rebellion, letting Jack and Geoff know whenever he popped up somewhere. 

“What the hell was he thinking? Running out in the middle of the night, not taking any shit with him...he’s fucking sixteen, Jack. What’s he gonna do, suck dick for money and hope no one recognizes him as our kid?” Geoff ran a hand over his face, his shoulders slumping. Jack put down her coffee mug and stood up, making her way to Geoff’s side and slipping an arm around his waist as she leaned against him. “What if he’s out there, sucking dick for money again? Jesus, Jack...what if he doesn’t come back?” Jack made a soothing noise and slipped her other arm around Geoff. 

“He’s up around Vespucci, or at least he was a few days ago. I’m sure he’s alright, Geoff. You have eyes out for him all over LS, someone will spot where he’s staying and then we can go get him. If you’re ready to apologize to him, that is.” Geoff stiffened slightly, and Jack fixed him with a stern look. “Geoff. You are going to apologize to him, aren’t you? You said a lot of shit that was way out of line.” Geoff sighed, prompting Jack to impatiently prod his shoulder. 

“I know. I know, I need to apologize and shit. I just...I look at him and I still see that fourteen year old we found turning tricks in San Andreas. I know he can look out for himself but shit, Jack. He’s still a kid. I don’t want him getting involved in our deals with other gangs, I don’t want people looking at him as a weak link and targeting him.” Jack hummed in response, shifting to bump her hip against Geoff’s.

“Aren’t you looking at him as weak link by thinking like that? He’s not much good with a gun, but even you have to admit he’s got the weirdest luck when it comes to taking care of himself.” Geoff sighed, pressing a kiss to Jack’s temple before moving to sit at the table and anxiously rubbing the bridge of his nose with his finger. 

“Yeah. I guess I am. Alright. I’ll see about having Joel make a round, maybe. See if he can find him.” Jack sat down at the table as well, reaching for her abandoned coffee mug. Both jumped and reached for their guns as a loud bang rang through the apartment as the door swung open to reveal a fuming Burnie Burns.

“Jesus, Burnie. I could have shot you.” Burnie waved his hand in dismissal, closing the door behind him as he entered the apartment. 

“I can’t believe you haven’t gotten a better place than this shit hole yet.” Making his way over to the table, Burnie slapped a hand down on the wood as he leaned in towards the two. “Do you know who just fucking called me looking for a, and I quote, ‘professional consultation’?” Jack raised a brow, causing Burnie to snort. “Gavin. He’s up towards Mount Gordo with some kid who needs protection. What the fuck have you three been doing?” Geoff looked at him sheepishly, and Jack cleared her throat. 

“Geoff and Gavin got into a bit of a fight two weeks ago, and Gavin’s been out running the streets since then. Who's this kid he’s with?” Burnie shrugged, and Jack frowned in response. “Well, did he give a name? Anything?” 

“Said the kid’s name is James, and he’s in some shit with Edgar. Gav seems pretty taken with the guy, kept telling me that he wants to help him. I’m inclined to trust Gavin’s judge of character on this...he’s usually pretty good at knowing when someone’s fake.” Geoff nodded, and Jack took a sip of her coffee. 

“So when do we go get Gavin and this James guy?”, Geoff asked impatiently. Jack reached out to pat his hand. 

“I’m supposed to meet them in about an hour at Vinewood Bowl. I assume the two of you are coming with me?” Geoff nodded, and Jack gave Burnie a smile. 

“Thanks for letting us know where he was. We were starting to get worried.” Burnie nodded, and Jack stood up to take her cup to the sink. “We’ll ride with you. Gavin might take off if he suspects we’re there, and Geoff still has to apologize.” Jack grabbed her wallet from the counter and moved to put on her coat as the men stood up. 

“Man, what did you do to him to make him run off for two weeks?” Burnie’s question caused Geoff to glare at him irritably before he grabbed his own wallet and gestured for Burnie to open the door. 

“He wanted to be involved with our interactions with other gangs. I...wasn’t as open to the idea as I could have been.” Burnie gave a soft ‘ahhh’ and Geoff sighed as he closed and locked the door behind them. “I know I can’t keep him as a kid forever. Especially in this line of work. But fuck, Burnie...he’s sixteen. I’m not wrong to try to keep him from this shit, right?” They began their descent down the stairs, Jack trailing a step behind. 

“Geoff, it’s not like he’s an innocent. He’s more than capable of taking care of himself. How do you think he even made it to Los Santos? You’ve got to stop treating him like he’s still fourteen. Remember where you were at sixteen?” Geoff frowned, running a hand through his hair as they reached the building’s lobby. 

“In Alabama, getting the shit kicked out of me in a 7-11 parking lot. I mean, I get where you’re coming from, Burnie, I do. But when he came here, he at least had Dan with him. This time he’s out there alone.” Jack cleared her throat as they reached Burnie’s SUV, gesturing for Geoff to take the front.

“You’re both bad for treating him like a child. Stop coddling the boy.” The two men looked at her sheepishly, and she rolled her eyes as she got into the back. “Now, let’s go meet up with Gavin and his friend and see what, exactly, our Brit has gotten himself into.”

+++

Vinewood Bowl wasn’t exactly what Geoff would call his first choice of a meeting place - middle aged mothers with their kids overran the place and he could barely hear himself think, let alone anyone around him. Burnie had settled at a table in the farthest corner of the building, Jack and Geoff tucked in the corner of the booth out of sight as they waited for Gavin and his companion to arrive. They sat there for about twenty minutes before Gavin appeared, alone.

“Hey, Burnie! Were you waiting lo-” Gavin’s cheerful greeting cut off sharply as he spotted Geoff and Jack, and his brows furrowed as he stopped in his tracks. “You never said they were coming with you.” He shot Geoff a dirty look, and Burnie sighed. 

“Gav, come on. You know I had to tell Geoff where you were.” Gavin crossed his arms over his chest in response, and Geoff cleared his throat to catch the teen’s attention. 

“Look, Gav...I’m sorry. I didn’t treat you with the respect you’ve more than earned. I need to stop treating you like a little kid. Will you please come home?” Gavin fixed Geoff with a dark look before turning his attention back to Burnie as he spoke.

“No. But I’ll take a cell phone with me. I’m still well pissed at you, Geoffrey.” Geoff looked at Jack pleadingly, and the redhead leaned forward in her seat to scan the rest of the area. 

“Gavin, where’s your friend who needs our help?” Gavin glanced behind him, hesitantly, before turning his full attention back to the table. 

“James is worried that Edgar might find him, so he dropped me off and will be back to pick me up in half an hour. He has a hideout right now, but he accidentally wrecked a data theft job that Edgar had planned, so now he’s out for James’ blood.” Burnie frowned, motioning for Gavin to sit down next to him. 

“And you believe him?” Gavin made a face, folding his hands in his lap as he gave a firm nod. 

“Burnie, he accidentally robbed a bank. He paid for a motel room when he found out I was sleeping in a car...he’s not a bad person. Not really. Just...a little unfortunate.” Burnie chuckled, reaching to ruffle Gavin’s hair and causing the teen to squawk. 

“Well, if you trust him then I’ll trust him...for now.” Gavin smiled gratefully at the older man, and Burnie smoothed down the mess he’d made of the teens hair. “So what do we have to do to help him?” Gavin’s smile faded a bit, and he shifted his gaze to the table as he mulled the question over. 

“Can you do something about Edgar? He’s been edging his way into your territory for a little while now, so it’s not like it wouldn’t help you out too. Right?” Burnie leaned back in his seat, watching Gavin thoughtfully as he considered teenager’s request. Gavin had a point - Edgar had been causing problems, and taking care of him sooner rather than later would solve the issues he’d been having with holding his territory. 

“How did you know about that?” Gavin shrugged nonchalantly, and Burnie sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I thought I told you, Cockbyte information is off limits for you.” Gavin snorted, rolling his eyes, and Geoff snickered quietly in the background. 

“Dude, you have to know that telling him no is just going to make him want to do it more.” All eyes turned to Geoff, and he rubbed the back of his neck as Gavin looked at him expectantly. “Something I should have realized earlier. Look, Gav...I really am sorry.” Gavin sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“We aren’t here to discuss your being an arse, Geoff. We’re here to help James.” Geoff nodded, and Burnie waved his hand to gain their attention again. 

“I’ll take care of Edgar. I’ve been meaning to for a while now anyways. Will you let your friend know?” Gavin nodded and moved to stand up, pausing as Jack reached out and grabbed his hand. She slipped him a small wad of bills and a cell phone, and Gavin smiled in return before turning to leave. 

“I’ll be home in a few days. You’d better think of a fantastic apology, Geoff.” Geoff groaned as Gavin left, and Burnie couldn’t help but chuckle, Jack smirking as they watched Geoff’s dejected slump. 

“God, he’s a handful isn’t he.” Geoff groaned again, rubbing his face with his hands before giving Burnie a tired smile. 

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I died. I died and there is no excuse for it. But I'm back! Here's a new chapter of this masterpiece, and look for updates to Dogs of War and And Your Blood Runs Deep in the next few days! Also shout out to my Beta, gappylulu, and to my wife, who gave me the name of one of her characters names to be a drug dealer.

The apartment smelt like burnt eggs, giving Ryan a sneaking suspicion that a certain someone had broken in during the night while he’d been out working. Ryan pushed the door closed behind him as he toed off his boots and hung up his jacket before setting down his brown paper bag full of groceries on the coffee table, and making his way further into the small apartment to see if he could find Gavin. There was no sign of him in the living room, although his ever-present laptop, a gift for Gavin on his twentieth birthday earlier that month, sat on the desk on top of Ryan’s keyboard. He frowned, pausing long enough to move the laptop before moving into the bedroom. He couldn’t help but smile as he spotted blond hair peeking out from beneath the duvet cover, and he made his way over to sit on the side of the bed. 

“Hey, sleepy head. You burn eggs in my kitchen again?” Gavin groaned in protest, pulling the blanket tighter around his head as Ryan chuckled and reached into the mass of blanket to prod at him. Gavin whined, peeking out of the covers at Ryan before furrowing his brow.

“You said you’d be home before midnight. I brought over a movie and everything, Burnie left for Liberty City and left me all alone so I thought we could spend some time together.” Ryan smiled softly, gently shoving Gavin over to make some space on the bed for himself. Gavin shifted, lifting up the blanket for Ryan to get under before snuggling up to him, looping an arm around his waist, and resting his cheek on Ryan’s chest. They lay in silence for a few minutes before Gavin pressed his fingertips to Ryan’s collar.   
“Did you get the job done?” Ryan nodded, grabbing Gavin’s hand and squeezing it as he pressed his nose to Gavin’s hair. His ridiculously expensive shampoo smelt like mango and coconut, and it always made Ryan want a smoothie. 

“Target has been neutralized. Did you get the transfer?” Gavin nodded, and Ryan sighed in relief. “I vote we don’t do another job for Matt and Caleb unless they’re actually paying us. You still have to replace my frying pan that you destroyed.” Gavin gave an affronted snort, swatting at Ryan’s chest, and Ryan laughed. “Did you want to actually sleep some more? Because I could use at least a nap before we do anything.” Yawning, he settled into the pillows, and Gavin hummed tiredly. 

“I only went to bed about half an hour ago, so, I could sleep more. And then you need to check your Vagabond email, it went off this morning but someone changed the password and never told me what to.” Ryan smiled sheepishly, and Gavin patted Ryan’s chest, yawning. “It’s okay Rye, I forgive you. Just make sure you tell me the password when we get up, I assume it was compromised on the mission?” Nodding, Ryan reached to pull the blanket up over them, and Gavin snuggled against him; the two of them fell asleep almost instantly.

Ryan woke up three hours later feeling as though he’d fallen asleep with a heavy pillow draped over him. He shifted slightly to wedge himself under Gavin a bit more, enjoying the weight and heat the other had to offer - a surprising amount for someone Gavin’s size. At twenty, Gavin had gotten taller and had a bit more weight to him than when they’d first met, but he was still quite a bit smaller than Ryan himself. 

“Rye, go back to sleep. S’too early.” Ryan chuckled at Gavin’s sleep-slurred words, and he rubbed a hand along his back as he quietly shushed him. 

“It’s like noon, Gavin. It’s not my fault you decided to go to bed at like nine in the morning.” Gavin whined, and Ryan flicked his ear lightly. “I need to go check my email, and you need to have something more substantial than eggs and tea.” Gavin whined, and Ryan snorted as he rolled Gavin off of him, pushing him to the other side of the bed. Getting up, he stretched before going to his dresser to grab a clean shirt and jeans and then making his way out to the bathroom to change. 

“Noon is a perfectly acceptable time to wake up, Ryan. It always has been and it always will be.” Gavin’s voice filtered through the door, and Ryan snorted as he dropped his dirty clothes into the hamper before opening the bathroom door to go out into the living room. Gavin had moved from the bed to the couch and was now wrapped up in one of Ryan’s sweaters and a pair of expensive looking designer sweatpants. 

‘For you maybe. Some of us want to see the light of day in all its glory. Did you use all the eggs?” Gavin shook his head, and Ryan made his way into the kitchen. “I’ll make some french toast and bacon then. Unless you want to run down to the bakery and pick up some of those danishes you like?” Gavin perked up at that, turning to kneel on the couch and lean on the back of it. 

“Danishes, please! But can we have french toast and bacon for supper?” Ryan nodded, and Gavin beamed at him and bounced off the couch. “Fantastic. I’ll run down now, shall I?” He went to get his shoes on, and Ryan sat at his computer, taking it out of sleep mode to log in. “I’ll be right back!” He waved Gavin off as he left the apartment, opening his email to look at what had been sent. 

Three emails sat in his inbox; one from Matt thanking him for his hard work, one from his insurance agency, and one from what looked like a spam email address. Frowning, he noted the subject line - Vagabond, nothing else. He clicked the email anyways, trusting that Gavin’s sophisticated virus protection program would prevent anything from happening to his computer if the email was some sort of spam or attack. He read through the short email twice before leaning back in his seat and frowning. 

‘Vagabond-  
The Fake AH Crew of Los Santos would like to offer you a job: An assassination of the Corpirate’s leading drug dealer, Nathan Amero. We are willing to offer you $5500 and other jobs if you are interested and we like what we see.   
-Ramsey’

Beneath the email was a phone number with instructions to call if he was willing to accept the job. Ryan sat in silence, staring at the monitor as he let the words sink in. 

In all the time he had been working as an assassin in Los Santos, there had only been two gangs that had never contacted him for work; The Cockbytes, who had saved him from Edgar three years ago but never seemed to need to hire an outside assassin, and the Fakes. Truthfully, the Fakes had only really taken off in the past year and a half; rumor had it that the leader, Ramsey, had once been a member of the Cockbytes but had broken off to form his own gang about three years ago. He’d been steadily growing his empire, and though Ryan had been keeping an eye on the Fakes’ rise, Gavin had kept him from contacting them. For some reason, he refused the idea of working with them - Ryan wondered if Gavin might have had a run in with them before the two of them met. 

He wanted to respect Gavin’s request to not work with the Fakes, but the offer of $5500 was almost like a sign that he needed to take the job. He figured being on the Fakes’ good side couldn’t hurt either, since they were slowly taking over Los Santos with the blessing of the Cockbytes. Picking up his phone, he dialed the number and deleted the email as he waited out the rings until a woman answered. 

“Pattillo.” Ryan licked his lips nervously - realizing he was about to speak with Ramsey’s right hand woman - and cleared his throat. 

“Hello. I received an email from Ramsey with this phone number.” Leaning back in his chair, he internally cursed himself for not mentioning who he was. He’d feel like an idiot adding it in now - he had a reputation to withhold as the Vagabond. 

“Vagabond?” Pattillo’s tone was questioning, and Ryan hummed in affirmation as she chuckled. “Wow, alright. That was pretty fast, the intel on you says that it could take up to two weeks for you to contact someone. You received our offer, then. Have you thought it over?” 

“I have, yes. Frankly, I was surprised to hear from the Fakes. You’ve never contacted me before.” 

“Well, we wanted to see how you went about your business before we reached out to you. We’ve heard rumors of your skills, but frankly I don’t put much stock into rumors. Are you interested in taking on our request?” Ryan shifted in his chair, putting his feet up on the edge of the desk.

“Where can I find this Amero guy?” There was a sound of shuffling papers before Pattillo responded. 

“He’s been spotted up around Del Perro pier. Do you need us to supply you weapons?” Ryan snorted, dropping his legs to the ground. 

“No, I have my own. How do I alert you when the job’s done?” Pattillo chuckled lightly, her voice almost melodic. 

“Just message this number with something. We’ll know.” The line disconnected, and Ryan pulled his phone away from his ear, frowning. 

“Well that was just rude”, he stated, jumping as Gavin’s voice came from the kitchen, the door shutting with a bang behind him as he set down a tray of coffee and a bag. 

“What was rude? Who were you talking to?” Ryan spun his chair to watch as Gavin skillfully maneuvered the coffee from the tray, turning and making his way to Ryan’s desk to set down the drink in front of him. 

“Someone looking to hire me for an assassination. It’s decent pay for a low grade hit on a drug dealer. Should be pretty in and out.” Gavin hummed, leaning against the desk as he took a sip of his drink. 

“And they were rude? Doesn’t seem like a good way to get you to take their job, being rude with you.” Ryan chuckled, grabbing the cup and taking a sip. 

“Well, they made a good offer, so I’m going to do it. I should be back by tonight if things go well, tomorrow afternoon if they don’t.” Gavin nodded, reaching to pull Ryan from the chair and taking his place. 

“Sounds good. Keep in contact, let me know if you need anything. I have a few things to run for Burnie, so I’m going to camp here again tonight if that’s okay? It’ll be quieter here than at home.” Ryan hummed in agreement, and Gavin flashed him a grin. “Thanks, Rye. When are you heading out?” Ryan shrugged, taking a long sip of his coffee before turning to wander into the bedroom to root through his closet. 

“Probably a few minutes? Once I eat and change. The faster I get done, the faster I can come make sure you haven’t wasted away from a diet of coffee and instant noodles - which I know you have here. I’ve seen them.” Gavin’s snort came clearly from the living room, and Ryan returned once he had changed into a black sweater and pants. “You ever hear of a dealer named Amero? Nathan Amero?” Gavin’s brow rose slightly, and he reached to open his laptop and turn it on.  
“Nathan Amero as in Corpirate’s lead drug dealer Nathan Amero?” He asked, tilting back in the seat to look up at Ryan curiously. “Yeah, I’ve heard of him. Is he the target?” Ryan nodded, and Gavin frowned. “He spends most of his time down around Del Perro piers, I think. A lot of that time is in around the mask shop, that’s how people know how to find him. So odds are, you’ll find him there.” 

“Good. I hope you got enough danishes for both of us this time.” Gavin scowled, waving off the comment as he began typing, fingers flying over the keyboard.

“Well you didn't rightly ask me to get you some now, did you?” Ryan rolled his eyes, moving to open the bag on the counter.

“Except I'm pretty sure you used my wallet to pay for it so you'd better have gotten me at least one.” He pulled out a blueberry danish with a triumphant grin, taking a bite and leaning against the counter with a contented hum. “Best pre-assassination food ever.” Gavin snorted in amusement, clicking open a program that simulated different security systems. Curious, Ryan moved to stand behind Gavin, leaning over his shoulder to see what he was doing. 

“Get your danish breath out of my face, you mong. I’m just practicing on that new security system, you never know when we’re going to run into it. Shouldn’t you be going?” Ryan pouted, and Gavin shifted slightly in his seat, leaning up to capture Ryan’s face between his palms before pulling him down to his level and bopping their foreheads together. “Not that I want you to go, but a job’s a job yeah? Better to get it done, then you can come back and we can binge watch Breaking Bad.” Ryan rolled his eyes, pressing his forehead harder to Gavin’s before pulling away to shift towards the door. 

“I shouldn’t be too long, if this guy is anything like any of the Corpirate’s other drug dealers. I’ll call you if I’m going to be later than eleven though.” Gavin hummed at his words as Ryan gathered up his gun and his keys, and Ryan shook his head and smiled as he watched Gavin immerse himself in the security program. 

“Have fun, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do and don’t get shot!” Gavin called as Ryan opened the door, slipping outside to close it securely behind him before snorting. 

Hopefully, Gavin wouldn’t realize he hadn’t given him the password to the Vagabond email.


	5. Chapter 5

Gavin stared at the screen, brows furrowed as he attempted to glare the flashing warning into oblivion. He had tried every passcode he could think of - Ryan’s real name, his birthdate, the address to the apartment - but nothing had gotten him into the secure program that was set up for all of the Vagabond’s job related emails. Instead, all he had for his troubles was an alert that the computer would shut off at the next attempt to break into it, erasing all the files on it in the process. A safety precaution - his own creation - that he hadn’t ever thought would be used to deter himself from the computer, yet there he was. 

“Bloody mong. Can’t believe he forgot to tell me the password”, he muttered, pushing off from the wall under the desk with his toes. His chair sailed across the hardwood floor before catching on the rug Ryan had almost not let him get for under the coffee table. For as long as they’d known each other, Gavin had always known the password to the Vagabond account. He liked to think of himself as Ryan’s manager of sorts - having his fingers in both Geoff and Burnie’s metaphorical pies made it easy for him to keep up with which jobs would work out best and whose good side they should aim to be on. “Tosser. I hope he gets shot.” He immediately winced, feeling bad as he rubbed his hands over his face. 

He didn’t actually mean that. He’d feel terrible if Ryan wound up shot during his job, but he was frustrated. Ryan never forgot to give him the password whenever he had to change it on the job, which lead Gavin to believe that he was possibly hiding something from him. 

Scooting the chair closer to the couch, he spun the seat slightly and half slid off of it until he could roll himself onto the cushions, groaning as the chair rolled away. Ryan had been gone for three hours - hardly any time at all when it came to assassinations - and Gavin wondered if he could nap before the other man returned. 

He hadn’t slept well in days, too tired from all the extra work Geoff and Jack had him doing while they set up the penthouse. Security set up had taken nearly three days of non-stop work on his end, leaving him barely being able to catch a nap as he struggled to get his set up just right. Geoff had tried to argue that he could hire an outside contractor to do the job, and Gavin had been...well. Insulted didn’t quite describe the flash of hurt that had run through him at the suggestion - as though Geoff still didn’t completely trust Gavin’s abilities after all; as though he still saw Gavin as that scrawny kid who had attempted to pick his pocket in broad daylight on the boardwalk, instead winding up with a quick lecture and an offer of a place to live. Gavin had insisted that Geoff let him program the security, citing that an outside contractor could potentially turn on them after the penthouse had been set up, and Geoff had let him do as he wanted. 

He was startled out of his thoughts as his phone began to ring obnoxiously on the table beside him, and he reached out to answer it with a frown. “Hello, Geoffrey. I already told you that I finished the security module, didn’t I?” On the other end of the line, Geoff gave a sigh of fond exasperation, and Gavin relaxed back onto the couch as he dug his feet under its back cushion. 

“Yeah, you did. I’m calling to make sure you remembered to, you know, eat, and sleep, like a normal human being...find out how long you’re going to be at your secret boyfriend’s place.” Gavin frowned, wrinkling his nose at the accusation as he shifted to lay on his side, his eyes trailing over the entertainment stand. Half of the video games on the shelves were his,mixed in with Ryan’s own collection as though they were cohabiting the apartment. 

“He’s not my secret boyfriend, Geoff. He’s just...it’s Ryan, you know. Very nice gent, likes to feed me. How can I turn that down? Very relaxing. I’ll come back in a few days, I don’t want to be around while all that construction work’s being done, not when I have to do research for Burnie.” Geoff chuckled, and Gavin could almost picture him, seated on the sofa next to Jack( who would be doing some actual work). “Are you slacking off while Jack does all the work again then? You’d best not be having bevs without me, old man.” 

“God, Gavin, you’re an asshole; that poor kid doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into by knowing you. Make sure you invite him out to dinner with us soon. Jack’s just reviewing some potential hires and having a glass of wine, and I am having a nice responsible ginger ale, fuck you very much. There’s a few promising kids, not to mention we just gave a very encouraging up and coming star a job to test him out. I’m taking some time to relax, which is what you’d better be doing. Did you get some sleep last night?” Gavin hummed, pressing his cheek into a throw pillow on the couch as he closed his eyes. 

“Yeah. Ryan forced me to get some sleep last night, and I was just about to nap when you called. Oh, hey, did you look up Mogar like I told you to?” Geoff laughed on his end of the phone, and Gavin frowned. “I know he’s not got a huge name behind him but he’s bloody brilliant with explosives, Geoff. He’d be an asset.” 

“No, yeah I looked him up finally. He looks like he’d be a good add, nothing like you were.” There was a teasing edge to his tone, and Gavin knew that Geoff didn’t really think he’d been a bad choice to hire. 

“Yes, well, if that’s how you feel see if I help you locate things Jack hides from you any more. Actually, put her on will you?” There was the sound of the phone changing hands before Jack’s bright voice came onto the line. 

“Hey, Gavvers. Are you eating okay at Ryan’s?” Rolling his eyes, Gavin flopped onto his back.

“Yes, mum. All four food groups, lots of veg and the like. I’m not actually yours and Geoff’s child, you know that right?” Jack hummed, and Gavin continued. “Geoff says you gave a potential a job? Who was it?” 

“Oh, just an assassin whose contact information we were given by one of our informants. Seems like a pretty professional guy, which is good, and nothing but good yelp reviews.” Gavin snorted and Jack chuckled in turn. “But seriously, he has a good record and he’s new enough that I’m not worried about someone else like the Corpirate having a hook in him already. From what I’ve heard, he’s never even worked for one of the larger crews, so I have some hope that if things go good we might be able to convince him to join us full time. You know how I feel about hiring a freelancer for the more important jobs…”,she trailed off, and Gavin sighed. 

“We want more reliable people. People who won’t leave. People who won’t turn on us...I know, Jack. Are you sure we can trust this bloke? You and Geoff seem to be suspiciously leaving out names, which doesn’t give me much confidence you know.” There was a moment of silence before Geoff came back on the line, voice slightly tinny as though he’d been put on speaker phone. 

“Look, Gavin...I know how you are with new people. I know you don’t mean to, but you don’t always...uh. You’re not always the best at first impressions when it doesn’t have to do with an actual job, kiddo. And we don’t want you stalking this guy before we decide we want to hire him, okay? I know you, you’ll start tracking him down and know his fucking blood type as soon as we give you a name and with the reputation this guy has, I don’t want to give him a reason to turn on us before we’re even working with him. Promise me you’ll drop it until we decide if he’s good for the crew, okay?” Gavin fell silent for a moment - a little insulted by the words - and Geoff’s voice became a bit firmer. “Gavin, promise me.” 

“Fine, Geoffrey. I promise I won’t look into this bloke that I don’t even know the name of because you apparently don’t bloody well trust me enough to even tell me a name. I’m not insulted at all by the implication that I scare people away by being myself, not at all.” Geoff sighed heavily. 

“Gav, buddy, that’s not - that’s not what I meant. You know that.” 

“Do I? You basically just said that I would scare away a potential hire by wanting to, oh, I don’t know, make sure the bloke isn’t about to turn on us and murder us as soon as we hire him. Completely illogical of me to want to do that. What with the wonderful track record we have with people I don’t know coming into crews we’re in and not attempting to murder everyone we know”, Gavin spat bitterly. The thought of Geoff not trusting him to even know the person’s name was like a painful rock lodged in his gut. 

“Gavin, it’s not like that.” Jack’s tone was firm, and Gavin took a moment to decide if he was about to get a lecture from her. When she remained silent, he let out a sigh, dropping an arm over his eyes. 

“Whatever. I’m staying with Ryan a few days. When the lot of you decide you can trust me around new people, I’ll come home.” He didn’t give them a chance to answer, hanging up and turning his phone’s ringer down before tossing it onto the coffee table. He closed his eyes, took a few slow breaths to release the tension of the phone call, and turned onto his side to reach for the t.v remote. Turning it on, he flicked onto the Discovery channel before setting in, hoping for the nap he’d been planning before Geoff had called. 

He was snoring before the end of the first show.

\+ + + +

The worse thing about assassinations, Ryan decided, was attempting to return back to his nice, normal apartment covered in blood without seeming suspicious. He’d slipped past old man Clements at the mailboxes and barely managed to avoid Sara Fleming from apartment 6 as she’d lugged her stroller down the stairs, two year old Marcus balanced on her hip precariously enough that Ryan felt guilty about being unable to offer assistance without the young woman having some sort of panic attack. He’d tried not to get any of Nathan Amero’s blood on him, but for a skinny little man, he’d struggled a lot. 

Unlocking the apartment door, he slipped inside quietly, toeing off his shoes before heading towards the bathroom. On the way, he paused and glanced around the living room to see if Gavin was still working. The computer screen was set to the screen saver(a variety of pictures Gavin had taken over the course of their friendship), and the computer chair was halfway across the room, leading Ryan’s gaze to the form that was curled up on the couch, drooling onto his ‘Bless This Mess’ pillow the little old lady down the hall had gifted him with when he’d moved in. Smiling, he reached to brush some hair from Gavin’s face, noting that he looked even younger as he slept. Tucking the afghan from the back of the couch around Gavin, he stood and stretched before moving towards the bathroom to take a shower and dispose of his clothing. 

The water heater in the building was decent - probably helped by the fact that there were only ten apartments in the unit -, and it took no time at all for the water to heat to a decent temperature. He stripped, balling the clothing up to be burnt in the incinerator at the plant down the road when Gavin did his weekly break in for computer and car parts to steal and sell. The water felt fantastic, washing the blood away and relaxing the slight tension he’d been carrying in his shoulders since agreeing to the hit.

He felt guilty about hiding it from Gavin; the other man had always been involved in his jobs, even if it was only behind the scenes, and it felt like Ryan was cheating by not informing him that the Fakes had reached out to the Vagabond. Once he was certain that he could trust the Fakes - that they could trust them - he’d tell him. He knew Gavin would be angry - he hated being left out of things and always had to know what was going on. 

Ryan knew that he was playing with fire by not letting Gavin in on the situation. He’d seen Gavin angry before, well and truly angry, and it had been...frankly, terrifying. Silent and controlled; a calculated, rolling rage that swept over him like a wave and took out everything in his path in a methodical and meticulous way. Ryan had been lucky enough to watch from the sidelines as Gavin destroyed an entire empire one peg at a time over the course of mere weeks, awed and a little afraid of the person he had become. Shortly afterwards Gavin had returned to his regular perky, and sometimes annoying, self. 

The Minamoto crew had been decimated, any remaining members scattered throughout the city. Gavin had been eighteen, and Ryan could probably have pinpointed the beginning of his infatuation with the other man to the moment that Gavin had turned to him - beaming after sending off the notice to blow the last of the Minamoto’s safe houses - and asked if he wanted to go get some ice cream. 

Getting out of the shower and drying himself off, he thought about how he could ease Gavin into the conversation - butter him up with some baked goods first, probably, maybe get him right after he’d had a nap. Gavin was always a bit more agreeable to things then, when he was still half asleep and warm and cozy in his bed. Their bed, really, with the amount Gavin slept in it with or without him, and that was...that was a thing, now. 

“Rye? Are you home, or did someone break into the flat to raid our seemingly never ending supply of hot water?” Gavin’s voice was muffled, probably by the pillow he’d been curled into, and Ryan chuckled as he opened the door to the bathroom, steam escaping around him as he stepped into the hallway. 

“It’s just me, our shower is safe from ne'er do wells, don’t worry. My shower, really - you don’t actually live here until you start paying rent, you know. Did you have a good nap?” Walking through the living room he barely paused to turn off the t.v as he passed, disappearing into the bedroom to put on some clean clothing. It wasn’t long before he returned to the living room, settling onto the couch next to Gavin. Gavin yawned, stretching as he turned slightly towards Ryan with a small frown. 

“I guess. Geoffrey called beforehand and apparently he doesn’t trust me to meet his bloody business partners which frankly hurts.” Ryan frowned, gesturing for Gavin to curl up with him as he mulled over the words. As far as he knew, Geoff was Gavin’s adoptive father of sorts; Gavin always claimed he was a ward, but from the few times he had actually met Geoff, Ryan had gotten the feeling that Geoff had simply come across Gavin in the streets (while working a night shift at the bar he owned) and taken him in

“I’m sure he didn’t mean it to be insulting, Gavin. He always has you go over all his security stuff, right? So clearly he does trust you, just...not with meeting business type people. I mean, you’re a little much to take on at first if you don’t know what to expect. The first time I met you, you hi-jacked me into taking you in and letting you sleep with me in a motel. That’s not really, uh, the best first impression for a business partner, no matter how wonderfully it worked out for me.” Gavin frowned, flopping himself across Ryan to lay with his head on the arm of the couch, his upper torso stretched across the other man’s lap. 

“Everyone should want to meet me, though. And it’s more Geoff’s lack of trust, Ryan. He won’t even tell me the bloke’s name, as if I’d stalk him if I knew!” Ryan coughed to hide a small chuckle, though Gavin caught it regardless. “I’m serious!” 

“Gavin...Gav. You spent the first three weeks that you knew me literally looking into my entire life history. It’s a legitimate concern with you, I understand why Geoff would think that way. Not okay, though, I know.” He backpedaled as an offended look crossed over Gavin’s face, and Gavin paused - seemingly considering something - before giving a sigh. 

“You wouldn’t hide anything from me, right Ryan?” Ryan’s gaze crossed over Gavin’s face, pausing on his lips for a moment as Gavin licked them almost nervously before letting his eyes drift to the table as he felt his cheeks heat slightly. 

“Nothing important, no. Of course not, Gavin - you know what underwear I buy for crying out loud.” Gavin’s eyes bore into his momentarily, and Ryan wondered if Gavin could see that he was lying. Three years wasn’t quite long enough to know all of each other’s tells, but it was damn close; he was lucky Gavin hadn’t caught on to his feelings for him by now, to be honest. After a moment Gavin smiled, reaching to lightly flick Ryan’s forehead.

“You still haven’t given me the password for the Vagabond email, Ryan.” It was spoken softly, though Ryan could still hear the slightly hurt tone to Gavin’s words, and a small pang of guilt flashed through him. 

“You didn’t figure it out while I was gone?”, he teased gently, giving Gavin a small smile as the other man shifted slightly against him. Gavin shook his head, wrinkling his nose. 

“I tried bloody well everything I could think of, Ryan. Your full name, your birthday, the apartment’s address...what is it?” Ryan chuckled, wrapping an arm around Gavin’s stomach as he leant to grab the t.v remote t to log into Netflix. 

“Gavin David Free.” Gavin gave him a puzzled look, and Ryan shrugged slightly as he clicked on Breaking Bad. “Well, I’m pretty sure the only people who know your full name are me, Geoff and Dan, right? That’s pretty safe.” Gavin flushed slightly, and Ryan nudged him to get comfortable. “Now, I recall something about binge watching Breaking Bad?”


End file.
